Same Sentiments
by Flowerstar
Summary: Post-Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One and post-Super Mario Galaxy 2. Ratchet and Clank encounter the Comet Observatory and they meet Rosalina and her Luma children. As Ratchet and Rosalina learn more about each other, they soon realised they have a lot in common, they come to terms with their parents' death and they feel each other's sorrow.


_Super Mario Galaxy_ , _Super Mario Galaxy 2_ , Comet Observatory, Rosalina, Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Bowser, Lumas, Star Bits, the library, the Garage, Mushroom World, Rosalina's storybook and the whole story from it, locations, elements and so forth are properties of Nintendo, Nintendo EAD and Shigeru Miyamoto. Ratchet & Clank series, Ratchet, Clank, Kaden, Meridian City Library, the Lombax species, Fastoon, Talwyn Apogee, Polaris galaxy, Emperor Percival Tachyon, Veldin, Solana galaxy, Captain Qwark, Dr. Nefarious, Magnus, Quartu, Heli-Pack, Thruster-Pack, Hydro-Pack, Levitator, Robo-Wings, the Tharpod species, Susie, Court of Azimuth, Alister Azimuth, Metropolis, Cryosleep, Cobalia, Aphelion, locations, places, elements and so on belongs to Sony and Insomniac Games.

I'm finally back with a new story! Well, it's not exactly a story but it's a teaser to my upcoming Ratchet & Clank/Mario crossover fanfiction. As you can tell, my schedule have been pretty busy this year what with university, university assignments, going to StreetPass Manchester events, meeting celebrities that I never thought I'd ever meet in my lifetime, sorting something important out which is private and just recently, I'm completely swamped with more bunch of things such as preparing for my graduation (it's going to happen in November which is my birthday month), there is a forthcoming Nintendo event near me which is going to happen very soon, carrying out research for my possible, future cosplay outfit (I'm planning on commissioning someone to do the outfit for me) and I'm working on my own fanfictions. Plus, there might be a possibility of my family and I heading to Scotland for a bleated summer vacation on the 16th August. So, division-ten and RevenantReaper337 if you're reading this, these are the reasons as to why I'm extremely busy and why I'm absent in the first place.

Just so you know, Kerri Kane (she is one of Rosalina's old voice actresses. Heck, she already followed me on Twitter) will be the first person to read this story since she's going to sign it. Boy, I really can't wait to finally get her autograph! I can barely contain myself!

All I can say is be prepared to get a box of tissues at the ready. It's been years since the last time I've written a sad/emotional story. Looking back, I think I haven't written one since 2009. I had to listen to the _Super Mario Galaxy_ and _Super Mario Galaxy 2_ original soundtracks to set the correct mood for this story. It's very hard to refrain myself from crying while I'm listening to depressing music and writing this fanfiction.

Please note that this is a teaser to my upcoming Ratchet & Clank and Mario crossover short story. " _Same Sentiments_ " is the working title of it. Originally, the story is going to be set after _Ratchet & Clank: Nexus_ but I wanted the aforementioned story to tie with the Ratchet & Clank and Mario picture paratroopaCx (from deviantART) did for me as a commission. At least, all of you finally get to find out the dialogue behind the fanart. Initially, I wanted to describe the pages from Rosalina's storybook but I don't want to ruin the flow of my writing style and the fanfiction itself.

I hope all of you enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoy writing it. I've worked so hard on it and I've writing it since Friday 24th July.

Summary: Post- _Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One_ and post- _Super Mario Galaxy 2_. Ratchet and Clank encounter the Comet Observatory and they meet Rosalina and her Luma children. As Ratchet and Rosalina learn more about each other, they soon realised they have a lot in common, they come to terms with their parents' death and they feel each other's sorrow.

* * *

Same Sentiments

Upon entering the spacious library of the Comet Observatory, Ratchet and Clank were surprised to see an abundant of colourful Lumas (the colours of their celestial bodies range from yellow to purple but it depends on their abilities and their duties) floating about in an airy manner above the ground around Rosalina (who is the adoptive mum of the Lumas and the commander of the Comet Observatory) and how intricate the library is. As if the Comet Observatory isn't vast and grand enough.

Ever since meeting Rosalina and her Luma children, Ratchet wanted to know more about the girl behind the "Star Bit" eyes. There is just something mysterious about her but he couldn't quite point it out, seeing as he isn't knowledgeable about her life story and he met her not too long ago. During their first meeting, he mistook her for being a markazian due to her facial and body appearance. That is, until Rosalina explained she is a human, in spite of her powerful, magical powers which were stemmed from her mystical, golden star-shaped wand and she informed him that she used to live in the Mushroom World, which is occasionally referred as the Mushroom Planet. Throughout the course of his life, he had his fair share of forming relationships with other ladies across the cosmos but he had never met a woman like her. Since Talwyn Apogee is his girlfriend, he can only consider the females he met in the past and present as his friends and nothing more.

The library is reasonably large in comparison to the other rooms in the observatory. It boasts of the things and the elements which were typically seen in a library. Near the doorway which lacked a door are two, tall oval-shaped plants which were stood in an upright position in their light brown, half cylinder-shaped plant pots and a massive, wooden bookcase which is visible between the towering pillars (with intricate patterns adorned on dark red rectangles) which reached towards the ceiling. On the aforesaid bookcase are dark brown, framed photographs which were placed on the second, third, fourth and fifth rows, in front of the colourful books.

Next to the bookcase is a fireplace which is made out of brick and around the structure of said fireplace is constructed out of stone. The chimney is also created from bricks but the colour of them differs from the exterior of the fireplace. Just like any other fireplace, it had a foundation, a mantelpiece, a chimney crane, a grate, a lintel, a lintel bar, overmantel, a damper, a smoke chamber, a throat and a flue. On it are light tan-coloured, framed photographs which were placed one above the other. Above the fireplace are an assortment of dark and light, framed photographs which were in various sizes and heights. Within them were photographs of Rosalina and a Grand Star as well as pictures of her home planet and a diverse amount of galaxies. Coincidentally, the framed photos which were arranged neatly on the bookshelf close to the door way have the same images.

Near the fireplace is another pillar which is identical to the pillars which are visible on the both sides of the bookshelf and another bookcase. The walls and the floor were covered in countless, rectangular-shaped wooden planks.

At the centre of the library, there is a maroon-coloured, circular rug which is decorated with numerous big stars. The colours of the stars match the same colour with the frame of the aforesaid rug. At the bottom of the rug is a red, large circular seat and a cream-coloured, small spherical-shaped seat (both of these chairs have a black, round-shaped object of some sorts which keeps them both in place on the floor) and a rocking chair with a piece of green-tinted material draped over it.

The dark brown, timber walls are decorated with light brown, silhouette stars and these walls can be seen above the blocks. At the centre of them were two rectangular blocks within them. The smaller, inner rectangle is in a lighter shade of brown and the second, inner rectangle is in a darker tinge of the same colour. These aforesaid blocks were visible above the first bookshelf and on both sides of the fireplace.

Several lengthier, skinny oblong-shaped bricks can be seen below and above the blocks. There is one connecting from the left pillar on the left side of the bookcase to the right pillar on the right side of it and there is another lengthy, slim rectangle-shaped block being attached from the right pillar to the chimney of the fireplace and finally, there is yet another long, thin rectangular-shaped block being linked from the abovementioned chimney to another identical pillar which is positioned next to a second bookshelf. Altogether, these blocks are in a light shade of brown, which is similar to the colours of the four-sided blocks.

Last but not least, the front and back of the storybook were in a light shade of brown with a spine in a darker hue of the same colour but the top of it were slightly curved in an upwards direction. The borders were thin, golden and there is a zig-zag at each corner which appeared to look like a flight of stairs, going up in an ascending direction. A singular square can be seen touching the second "step" of the stair-like patterns. A Power Star with a thick, black outline is engraved at the centre of the front of the book. Rosalina's backstory is chronicled in this book and there are nine chapters altogether.

Ratchet is an emerald-eyed, yellow-golden furred and orange-striped Lombax (a bipedal, humanoid alien species which formerly hailed from planet Fastoon in the Polaris galaxy. They are extra-terrestrials but they are feline in nature) who originated from the planet Fastoon before he is sent to planet Veldin in the Solana galaxy by his birth father, Kaden, in order to protect him from Emperor Percival Tachyon. Ratchet's height is 4'10" (144 cm) and he is weighed 97.5 lbs (44.3 kg). His ears were large and he had triangular feet with three claws on each foot as well as huge hands with five fingers and a tail with a tuft of fluff at the tip of it. Just like the rest of his catlike race, he had a natural knack for mechanics, utilising technology and inventing ground-breaking gadgets, futuristic armour and space age weaponry.

In addition to the aviator hat/cap he's been wearing since his first adventure with Clank in the Solana galaxy, he is also clothed in the pilot suit since his recent galactic adventure with his robotic companion, Captain Qwark and Dr. Nefarious at planet Magnus in the Polaris galaxy. The pilot suit is in a dark peach colour with green elements such as the nav-unit which is visible and clipped on his belt. The aforementioned suit is accompanied with a pair of blue trousers and dark brown shoes which were covering the claws of his feet. The torso and leggings were in an orange colour and the trim is maroon.

Clank is a diminutive, standard model 7.66 robot from the planet Quartu in the Solana galaxy (his true birthplace is the Great Clock in the Polaris galaxy) with green optics which acts as his eyes and he is constructed out of metal. Furthermore, his height is 2'2" and his weight is 17 lbs. Not only that, but he ran on XP-88 sisterboards. He may not be impressive but his strength derives from his highly modifiable body which allows him to be fitted with gadgets and devices such as the Heli-Pack, Thruster-Pack, Hydro-Pack, Levitator and Robo-Wings. His optics had two eyelids. His real name is XJ-0461 and his serial number is B5429671.

With bated breath in excited anticipation, Ratchet's eyes instantly grew to the size of dinner plates but he refrained himself from gasping. While he couldn't contain himself and he couldn't take his eyes off every inch of the library, he let them wander around the library as they were twinkling and shining with excitement. Usually, he isn't one for libraries but this library took his breath away. "Whoa…! Check it out, Clank! This library is amazing! It could give the Meridian City Library a run for its bolts!"

Though if it were possible, the height of Clank's green optics extended to the highest extent it can manage and they shone brightly vivid with the lightest tones of greens whilst the size of his metal mouth increased which almost looked as if his jaw dropped at the sight of the elaborate architecture with a sense of grandeur, how spacious it is and how much people the library can contain. "How fascinating! The architecture of this library is indescribably remarkable!"

Catching a glimpse of the interstellar defenders turning up at the library, Rosalina called out for them from across the room while she is sitting in her rocking chair at ease, both of her hands were relaxing on the front of her hardback storybook. Her voice successfully snapped them out of their trance due to being mesmerised of the complex architecture of the library and the fact it can house a large number of Lumas in one space like this, thus returning them to reality. "Ratchet! Clank! It's a pleasure to see you two gentlemen in the library! Please take a seat."

The intergalactic duo did as they were told as they walked over to where the rounded, comfy-looking seats were; Ratchet settled down on the red seat while Clank transformed his hands into a pair of blades and the top of his head into a reasonably big helicopter-like propeller of the Heli-Pack which allows him to soar up into the air and land safely on the designated cream-coloured seat, which he then seated comfortably on it.

Once the interplanetary protectors made their appearance in the room, Rosalina conducted a headcount of all of the Lumas and the guests to confirm that they are present in the room. Once she had finished counting all of her adopted children and the visitors in her mind, she projected her voice with a shout that reverberated off the walls, bounced off the floor and whose faint echoes could be heard in the library. "Since everyone is accounted for, let us begin!"

She delicately fingered and felt around the hardcover of the book before she carefully flipped it open to the first page of her backstory. She cleared her throat before she took a deep breath, starting to read it out loud to her Luma children and the visitors, Ratchet and Clank, which listened intently to her angelic voice.

" _Chapter 1: The Celestial Duo._

 _Our story begins a very, very long time ago with a young girl. One day, this girl spotted a rusted spaceship holding a small star child._

' _What's your name? Are you lost?' the girl asked the star child. 'I'm Luma, and I'm waiting for Mama. She's coming for me on a comet!' said the star child, who had been waiting day and night._

' _Don't worry. I'll wait with you," the little girl promised Luma._

 _At nightfall, the little girl borrowed her father's telescope and peered into the sky. She looked and looked, but she saw nothing. Hours turned into days and then years, but still the sky revealed nothing. Finally, the little girl sighed and said to Luma, 'If we stay here looking much longer, I'll be an old lady soon.' But then she had an idea. "Why don't we go out there and find your mother ourselves?"_

 _The girl and Luma fixed up the rusty spaceship, and then the two set sail into the starry sky. And this is how the search for the celestial mother began._

 _Chapter 2: Star Bits._

 _Days passed with no sight of the comet, or even a single planet. Instead, asteroids extended for as far as the eye could see. 'If I had known it was going to take this long, I would have packed more jam," said the little girl, above the rumble of her belly._

 _Before they left, she had packed all the essentials: telescope, butterfly net, stuffed bunny, bread, milk, jam, and apricot-flavoured tea, but…_

' _I forgot to bring water!' At this, Luma burst into gales of laughter, and the girl began to pout. 'As long as I have Star Bits, I'll be fine,' said Luma. 'Want some?' The little girl couldn't stay mad after hearing this._

 _Luma continued to laugh, and the girl couldn't help but join in. 'All right, maybe just a nibble.'_

 _Leaning far out of the ship, the pair began to collect Star Bits with the girl's net. They almost fell out a few times, but they kept on collecting. The Star Bits tasted like honey._

 _Chapter 3: The Comet._

 _A beam of light pierced through the ship's window. Thinking it was the morning sun, the girl peered through the window, only to find a turquoise blue comet shimmering at her. The little girl shook the sleeping Luma awake and shouted excitedly, 'We HAVE to get to that comet!'_

 _The pair descended on the comet and found that it was made of ice. They looked high and low, but Luma's mother was nowhere to be found. Exhausted, the little girl sat down with a flop, utterly unable to take another step. 'Look!'_

 _Peering down at the icy ground where Luma was pointing, the girl suddenly noticed clusters of Star Bits encased in the ice. 'Pretty good, huh? Finding Star Bits is my speciality!' said Luma, beaming. 'There's ice here, but it's so warm, I'll bet there's water here too.' The two decided to stay on the comet for a while. Riding the turquoise comet, the pair continued their search for Luma's mother._

 _Chapter 4: The Dream._

 _One night, the girl dreamed about her own mother. 'Where are you going?' she asked her mother's retreating back. Without turning, her mother replied, 'Don't fret, dearest. I'm not going anywhere. I'm always watching over you, like the sun in the day and the moon in the night.'_

 _A wave of sadness washed over the girl. 'What about when it rains, and I can't see the sun or the moon?' Her mother thought for a moment before responding._

' _I will turn into a star in the clouds and wait for your tears to dry.'_

 _When she awoke, the girl's face was damp with tears. 'You have Star Bits in your eyes!' said Luma to the girl. Wiping her face, the girl replied, 'These are tears, not Star Bits. I'm crying because I'll never see my mother ever again!' At this, Luma began to cry too. 'Mama, oh, Mama... waaaah!'_

 _The pair travelled through the starry skies, and though they encountered many other comets, not one of them held Luma's mother. Luma was despondent. 'Now, now, Luma. The rain clouds won't go away if you keep crying,' the girl said, giving Luma a squeeze. 'I'll give you a present if you stop.' The girl closed her eyes and said gently, 'I'll take care of you.' With these words, she felt a small spark in her heart._

 _Chapter 5: Home._

' _The Kitchen will go here, and the library will go over there,' the girl said busily to herself. 'We'll put the gate here.' Ever since the girl took Luma under her care, she'd been bustling about at a feverish pace. 'It's a lot of work, but it's worth it to make a happy home.' It turned out that Star Bits weren't the only things buried in the ice. There were tools and furniture unlike any they had ever seen, and the girl used them to build a home._

 _Looking at the completed house, Luma remarked, 'Don't you think it's awfully big for just the two of us?' With a library, bedroom, kitchen, fountain, and gate, it was certainly spacious, but still, something seemed to be missing. 'If only my father, brother, and mother were here,' the girl said wistfully._

 _Indeed, the house was too large for its two small residents._

 _That night, clutching her favourite stuffed bunny close to her heart, the girl fell asleep in the starship._

 _Chapter 6: Friends._

 _Then one day, while the girl sat sipping tea, a tiny apricot-coloured planet appeared on the horizon. From the planet, another Luma of the same colour emerged. 'Do you two know each other?!' the girl asked the two Lumas gleefully. Despite the girl's excitement, they seemed uneasy._

 _The two Lumas neither drew closer nor backed away from each other. Instead, they just stared. Then one Luma broke the silence. 'My mama!' At once, the apricot Luma parroted back, 'My mama! My mama!' 'My mama!' 'My mama!' The two Lumas began to dance around the girl frantically, and neither showed any sign of stopping. The girl was so charmed by this adorable scene that she couldn't help but laugh. And that's when something very strange happened._

 _Suddenly, more Lumas began to pop out from the apricot planet. They were different colours, but they all shouted the same thing. 'My mama!' 'My mama!' The sight of all the shouting Lumas only made the girl laugh harder. 'What am I going to do with all these children?!' The Lumas just stared blankly as she doubled over laughing. 'I guess we'll have to name each and every one of you.' Tomorrow, once she had finished naming them all, she would begin moving all the Lumas into the new house._

 _Chapter 7: The Telescope._

 _After seeing their 100th comet, a sudden thought popped into the girl's head: 'I wonder if my home planet is still as blue as it was.' That's when she remembered her father's telescope._

 _Peeking into the telescope, a tiny blue dot floated into sight. It was smaller than a Star Bit. 'How strange… It's so far away, but it feels so close.'_

 _She twisted the knob of the telescope, and the blue dot grew until she could make out a grassy hill dotted with flowers. It seemed very familiar to her. Zooming even closer, a terrace on the hill came into view. 'I used to go stargazing there when I lived on my home planet.'_

 _She remembered rubbing the sleep out of her eyes as she followed her father up that hill to look at the stars…_

 _She remembered how she and her brother would sled down that hill…_

 _She remembered having picnics with her mother on that hill on bright and windy days… And…_

' _I want to go home! I want to go home right now!' The girl burst into tears, and the Lumas didn't know what to do. 'I want to go home! I want to go back to my house by the hill! I want to see my mother!' The girl was shouting now, her face wet with tears. 'But I know she's not there! I knew all along that she wasn't out there in the sky! Because...because...'_

' _She's sleeping under the tree on the hill!' The girl's cries echoed through the stars, and a hush fell over the area._ "

The instant Rosalina finished reading the last sentence of the seventh chapter aloud to her adoptive children and their guests, Ratchet and Clank; she unexpectedly is overcome with grief as she concealed her face with her hands, dropping her storybook to the floor in the process which resulted in the pages sprawling everywhere. This caused the Lumas to frantically shout and shriek in distress, fretting for their foster mum.

Seeing Rosalina suddenly breaking down into tears right in front of him, the Lumas and Clank took Ratchet aback, distraught and unsure of how to react in a situation like this. He is at a loss at what to do whilst all he can do is watch her sobbing uncontrollably into her hands with no sign of stopping. It is a feeling and an emotion he knew all too well which he didn't care to admit and it is starting to come back to him. As he carried on feeling sorry for her, he sees a little bit of himself within her, in terms of what she is currently going through. In a way, she reminds him of the Tharpod orphan girl, Susie, from planet Magnus in the Polaris galaxy. Witnessing Rosalina sobbing revealed that there is a vulnerable and a lonely side to her. This is a reminiscent of his rough childhood, growing up all alone on his adoptive home planet, Veldin, with no one there by his side to care for him and to be by his side in his darkest hours as well as no family to call his own. If there ever is a time to get to know her, now is the time.

"Mama! Mama! What's wrong?"

"Mama! You still have us!"

"Mama! Don't cry!"

"Mama! Why are you crying?"

This is followed by additional high-pitched choruses of cries from the Lumas which pierced and shattered through the silence. It fell over the library which occurred during Rosalina's storytelling. All the panicky calls and shrills combined into one, unrelenting commotion, repeating endlessly to no end. Unfortunately, the volume of the screams and shouts were not weakening, easing up, or otherwise diminishing in strength. At this rate, they will never quieten down until they completely subside.

"Oh dear…" A pair of silvery, metallic hands abruptly flew up to Clank's mouth, dismayed due to the sudden change in the galactic princess' mood.

Rushing to her aid, Ratchet worriedly shook one of the cosmic princess' long sleeves of her teal-coloured gown with his brown-hued, leathery gloves. Thus, his ears flopped down behind his head, indicating the same emotion he is sharing with the cosmic guardian and his mini mech. To put it simply, it is known as misery. "Hey, hey, there's no need for that! What's wrong, Rosie?"

While he continued to shake her in order for her to snap her back to her senses but to no avail, he failed to pick up the approaching sounds of little, metal footsteps and notice his lifelong best friend jumping off his seat and making his way to where the alien feline and the lady of the shooting stars are but due to the constant high-pitched cries which filled the air, they drowned out the above-mentioned footsteps. It didn't take long for to reach his destination.

"Ratchet, I do believe Miss Rosalina requires some reassurance." Clank stated in a matter of fact kind of voice, sharing the same mood which had befallen on everybody in the library. "It had come to my attention that a negative emotion is affecting everyone in this room. The name of this particular emotion is known as unhappiness I do believe, if my memory banks serve me correctly."

The minute the miniature robot's voice entered his fuzzy, fluffy ears; this caused Ratchet to turn his attention to him as they perked up and twitched, suggesting he managed to hear him speak in his typical way of talking with a high vocabulary. This resulted in the lombax to stop shaking the grief-stricken lonely princess in order to gaze towards his long-time best friend and travelling comrade. "Are you saying I have to comfort her?"

"Affirmative."

"Hey, stop with the waterworks. You're making us all upset." Ratchet softly pleaded with a saddened frown, his humongous ears flickered down and his thick, brown eyebrows lowered until they touched his concerned jade eyes. "Look, if it makes you feel any better, I… I…" He begins to stutter and falter in his words, struggling to find the right words to say but he couldn't bring himself to saying what's been on his mind. It is bad enough he is on the verge of tears as well, choking on his words. "I know how you feel." His jade eyes were glistening with a fresh set of watery droplets of tears, trying to blink them away.

Upon hearing these words coming from the normally brazened lombax, Rosalina slowly lifted her head upwards from both of her hands even as her elbows rested on her lap as she stifled a gasp. A wave of sadness continued to wash over them as time went by with each passing second, minute or hour as her sapphire eyes locked onto Ratchet's fern green ones, refusing to take their eyes off of one another. It almost felt like time have come to a standstill. This resulted in the peals of yells and exclamations caused by the Lumas to dwindle until there is not a single trace of noise at all.

Wiping away his tears with his leathery, brown-gloved fingers, Ratchet built up the strength he had to enlighten Rosalina with his own account of what occurred to him and his long-time best buddy several years ago. Though, it pains him to do so. He balled his hands into clenched fists to prevent the waterworks from getting the better of him before he gently placed a comforting hand on her back, rubbing it up and down repeatedly with the intention of soothing her. "I know what it's like to realise that your parents are dead. Although unlike you since you have a family to begin with, my parents died protecting me during the invasion of my birth home planet, Fastoon, when Percival Tachyon and his army attacked it 'cause of his vengeance against my species. My race, the Lombaxes, is forced to seek refuge in the Court of Azimuth and they used the Dimensionator to transport themselves to another dimension but my father, Kaden, refused to join them. He stayed behind to save my mum but by the time he made it to her location, she is already been murdered. So, he decided to protect the device and he sent me to Veldin. From what his best friend, Alister, told me, he didn't know how long my dad survived until Tachyon tracked him down but Alister is aware that he is responsible for his death. If only I am able to save my parents, none of this would've happened. I hated it for being so young and vulnerable as a baby back then, I couldn't do a thing to rescue them. In short, I know what it's like to be a lonely orphan, living alone in the cold and brutal outside world. Well, until I met Clank, that is. I knew next to nothing about my kind, who my parents were, my origins and where I come from, that is until years later in the recent past when Percival Tachyon and his troops were trashing Metropolis, looking for me. Upon encountering them for the first time, he tried to make a deal with Clank and I, stating if we admit defeat, he won't attack the city. Thanks to my quick thinking, we escaped from them by means of a warship which we stole from him. Once aboard the ship, we were put into Cryosleep, completely unaware that the ship is going to take us to another galaxy. We soon crash landed on planet Cobalia in the Polaris galaxy. As our quest progressed and the events were unfolded right before our very eyes, I learned more about the history of my species, who my parents were and what exactly happened to them and my people."

When he finished telling his story which is regarding his quest for self-discovery, his voice become cracked and shaken, on the brink of tears once again.

"Ratchet… I… I…" Rosalina trembled in her words, uncertain of what to make of the emotional and tear-jerking story the furred, heroic mechanic exposed to her, even if it's grudgingly. A cascade of water were instantly forming and overflowing in her eyes, on the threshold of sliding down her cheeks. Out of all of the people she met and befriended so far, she never encountered someone who shared a lot in common with her in more ways than one. She sniffled and wiped away her soggy tears with her fingers, avoiding them from descending down her face. "I didn't know. I apologise for what happened to your family."

"Don't be." Ratchet shook his head, disregarding the cosmic guardian's sympathetic apology. He is fully aware that it isn't her fault to begin with and the cause of his parents' death which is beyond his control. He bit his lower lip with a heavy heart, already finding it difficult to being honest with himself and to her due to the hardships he suffered through throughout his life which is more than he can bear to chat about. "It's not like I advertise my whole life to the universe. To be honest, I usually don't like discussing about my past. I assumed that if I told you about it, it might help cheer you up. I can't bear to see you like this."

"It seems like we're in the same boat since we've lost both of our families out among the stars."

"Or more like we're in the same starship." Ratchet corrected the keeper of the Comet Observatory, considering he hadn't seen enough boats in his lifetime during his astral adventures. Reaching into one of the pockets of the leggings of his pilot suit, he pulled out a blank, white handkerchief before he handed it to her out of sympathy. "Here's a tissue for you. Now, dry your eyes."

"Thank you, Ratchet." Rosalina accepted the hankie from the interplanetary, starship mechanic without hesitation. As she verbally expressed her thanks to him, she forced a faint, but sincere, smile which tugged at her cheeks.

And with that, Rosalina pulled Ratchet into a warm embrace as a token of her thanks, grateful for his random act of kindness and generosity whilst her arms and feminine, dainty hands wrapped around his waist and she nuzzled into the fur of his face, feeling the surface of the yellow-golden fur brushing against her light tan face. This resulted in him purring just like his primitive, primal ancestors or a normal domestic cat. Taken aback by the unexpected cuddle, this effectively brought his purring to an abrupt halt and his brown eyebrows suddenly flew up to the top of his forehead. His bright green eyes grew wide which caused them to nearly bulge out of his eyeballs in astonishment and his ears shot straight up but not almost touching the ceiling. Despite this, he returned the hug but more awkwardly, doing the same thing as they both savoured the moment together and refused to release each other in fear of either of them will vanish if they let go.

In light of their current situation, they soon wept quietly as their chests rise and fall, failing to suppress their sobs as their heartache begin to take hold once more. At this point in time, Clank and the Lumas looked on in compassion and awe, not expecting Ratchet and Rosalina to bawl together as a pair of friends or acquaintances, sharing the same sentiment and sorrow. Though, Clank's expression took on more of a frown (well, as much as a robot can frown anyway) and his top eyelids slightly fell until they looked as if they were slanting whilst the green colour of his optics dimmed to a minimal level.

Afterwards, they soon let go of each other whilst their arms and hands (gloved hands in Ratchet's case) drifted apart, their eyes were filled to the brim with fresh, wet tears. Concerning Rosalina, her eyeshadow and her rosy pink lipstick were stained with tears, except her purple nail polish. Fortunately, the ever resourceful lombax yanked out a pack of tissues which he stored in one of the pockets of his pilot suit leggings. The tissues were thin, velvety and soft to the touch. He opened the packet before he pulled one out, handing it to her and he dragged another one out for himself before he closed the aforementioned packet and deposited it back where it belongs.

"Hey, don't even sweat it. If you ever need a shoulder to cry on, I'll always be there for you." Ratchet smiled but more of in a comforting, but melancholy, fashion, resting a hand on Rosalina's back as a sign of reassurance and condolence.

With one assuring hand still on her back and a thin, soft hankie in the other, he wiped away his moist tears and the remaining ones which were soaking and dampening his yellow-golden fur on his feline face while she did the similar thing in the comfort of her rocking chair. Though, she cleaned the tears from her face, eyes and cheeks in her case since she lacked a body of fur. Their hearts still weighed down with sadness, they pinched their noses with their tissues and blew their noses as hard as they can. The noises were incredibly loud, they almost sound equivalent to a trumpet.

"You may not see it now but even though your family isn't with you right now, they'll always be with you in here." He continued in a gentle and soothing tone of voice, gingerly prodding a singular finger at Rosalina's chest, directing to where her heart should roughly be. "They'll always live on in the memories you've shared with them and in spirit. Never forget that. At least, that's what Clank always told me whenever I'm mourning for my mum and dad."

"That's…" Having trouble to sift through the sentences and words which were flowing through her mind one by one with the purpose of choosing the correct words to converse to the furry, feline mechanic, Rosalina eventually picked the right ones after she stumbled in them. "That's cheesy and yet, it's meaningful at the same time. I never expected you to be a moral compass, Ratchet. You seem to be pointing me in the right directions."

"Yeah, and here I thought Clank is the one with the voice of reason. Normally, I'm not that good with this kind of stuff. There are times when we all have our moments and our bad days. Besides, it helps when you talk about your problems and what's been bothering you to someone, whether you don't know them or not. My family may be deceased but my kind is still out there somewhere in the universe. Clank and I are still trying to search for them."

"Space can be a vast and lonely place, even if it holds many mysteries and lots of questions being left unanswered. However, it's also dangerous. It's an uncharted, celestial expanse where no one have ever dared travelled to before." Rosalina explained in her usual monotone voice, but more of in a serenity and dreamy kind of way. Though, the words provided a sense of wisdom based on her expansive knowledge of the universe and her experience. It is almost as if she isn't describing it to the interstellar heroes and her attention is diverted to somewhere else.

Even though he didn't grasp the gist of Rosalina's words of wisdom, Ratchet is sort of able to make out what she is talking about. From his life experience and his perspective, he knew that outer space can be an unforgiving place sometimes, considering he already lost his parents, the majority of his race and Alister Azimuth but not in a literal sense. "Yeah, I know what you mean." The second his words left his lips, he dejectedly averted his eyes while his ears drooped behind his head.

Rosalina took Ratchet's leathery, brown-gloved hands into hers, clasping them as she gazed into his brilliant green eyes with pleading eyes which caused him to divert his attention to her, snapping him out of his brooding mood. The gloves felt like leather, obviously, especially having a grainy surface or a tough unyielding consistency in comparison to her words which held much meaning, value and importance. "Ratchet, please stay strong just like you did for me. I believe this universe needs you as much as it needs me to protect and watch over it."

"I'll…" Ratchet felt like his words were caught and stuck in his throat as if there is a lump which is hard and uncomfortable to swallow. The way he uttered his words in a quiet tone of voice, they sound like he is whispering them. "I'll try." Recomposing himself, he cleared his throat and he forwarded a suggestion to her. "Now, how about you finish reading the story to us? It might take your mind of missing your folks." Spotting the storybook lolling on the ground in a seemingly careless manner, he bent down on his knees to pick it up, dusted it off just in case there are grime and dirt on the front of it and within the pages but he wouldn't put it past the princess to keep the library and the gigantic starship spotless and crystal clean and returned it back to its rightfully owner after rising up from his crouched position. "Here, you dropped your book on the floor."

Receiving the book from the space alien cat, a faint, but heartfelt, smile is slowly creeping across Rosalina's womanly lips as she took his caring and kind-hearted actions to heart, drawing the book close to her chest as if she is hugging it. As she did so, both of her hands clutched on to it, lying on the back of it. "Thank you, Ratchet. You have done so much for me and I don't know if there is any way for you to repay me. I'm very grateful for you being there for me when I needed you most." Right after she spoken these words, she is lost deep in a train of thought, reflecting on the last time the Mario brothers saved the universe and Princess Peach from Bowser's evil grasp. It almost felt as if it is yesterday. _His benevolent deeds remind me of Mario and Luigi. I haven't seen these two gentlemen since the time they saved the universe from this terrible, fire-breathing monster and collected all of the scattered stars._ Shaking her head to snap herself out of her thoughts which effectively returned her to real life, she simply nodded, agreeing to resume the story from where she left off. "Very well."

Removing the book from her chest before setting it on her lap, she opened the front of it and flicked through the pages due to dropping it on the floor in the midst of her emotional breakdown until she gets to the point where her eyes rested on the current chapter of her backstory. She waited patiently until Ratchet and Clank walked back to their chosen seats and once they reached the rounded chairs, the lombax made himself comfortable on the red-coloured seat he selected before picking Clank up from the ground and set him on his selected seat, given that he is small in comparison to the size of the cream-tinted chair. Once they settled down on their seats and the Luma children have quietened down, she inhaled deeply before she proceeded to resume reading her backstory.

" _Chapter 8: The Wish._

 _Though usually quite cheery, one day the girl became sad again. Luma drew close and tried to comfort her. 'Mama, you still have me!' 'And don't be sad about your mama, because she's a part of you! That means she's always close by!' 'It's like me. I love Star Bits because they remind me of my mama.' 'No…no…' the girl said, unable to stop the tears._

 _A lonely look flickered across Luma's face, but it was soon replaced by a wide grin. 'I have an idea!' 'I will transform into a comet, a soaring comet that can carry you all on this journey!'_

 _With that, Luma, trailing bands of white, soared high into the sky and just as quickly started to plummet back down. KABOOM! KABLAM! The ground shook, and a bright light poured out of the crater that the Luma had created._

 _The bands of light twisted together to form a comet tail. And then Luma emerged, reborn as a comet._

 _The girl could scarcely believe her eyes. 'But…how?' she kept asking. 'Our destiny as Lumas is to transform into different things,' said a red Luma who had suddenly appeared. 'Stars, comets, planets… We can become all of these things! When I grow up, I want to become a star that makes someone special smile,' said a green Luma. A blue Luma chimed in, 'That Luma turned into a real cutie of a comet, didn't he!'_

 _All of the Lumas together said, 'No more crying, Mama!' 'Thank you…' said the girl in a whisper, and she pulled the Lumas close and hugged them. From that day on, Star Bits no longer fell from the girl's eyes._

 _The comet set forth for the girl's home planet, its long tail blazing proudly behind it._

 _Final Chapter: Family._

 _With its many Lumas and telescopes, the comet was quite a sight to behold. The girl and the Lumas were proud to call it home. At a welcoming party for a new Luma, the girl gathered everyone in the Kitchen and said in a louder voice than usual… 'All right, everyone! Let's make a cake! A cake sprinkled with Star Bits! Then it will be a star cake!' The Lumas excitedly began to gather the ingredients._

 _As she watched the Lumas scurry about, the girl smiled and thought to herself, 'This is my family now, and I will stay with them until they're ready to leave the nest. And when they do leave, I'll see them off with a smile. Because that's what makes a mother happiest.'_

 _That night, when the girl lay down to sleep, a soft light enveloped her and reminded her of the blue planet she once called home. 'But it would be nice to return home once every one hundred years to nap in my favourite sleeping nook.'_

 _The comet carrying the Lumas and the girl continues on its journey to this very day. With more 'family members' in tow than can be counted, it's said that the comet visits the girl's home planet once every hundred years, its proud white tail glittering in the sky._

 _The End._ "

"That's all. My story is finished." Rosalina declared for her readers or listeners to hear. With these concluding words, she closed the book with her right hand before she rested her left hand on top of it.

After what seemed like a long while since the previous time he have spoken, Clank piped up in order to direct the lombax's attention to him with a suggestion to give the galactic girl some personal space and leaving her to collect her thoughts. "Ratchet, I believe we must leave Miss Rosalina alone in order for her to reflect on the recent events and incidents which occurred thus far. She may require some time to herself."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right, pal." Ratchet nodded, glancing in the pint-sized, box-like robot's direction. Though, his close chum knew what's best for him, the universe and the people he met throughout the years. "Anyway, I gotta go and fix my starship, Aphelion." He averted his head to lock his emerald green eyes with the astronomical woman's azure blue eyes, letting her aware of his circumstance. Even if he wanted to keep her company, he knew he had work waiting for him outside which is related to fixing his spaceship which is seemingly broken beyond repair. "You take care, Rosie." He waved goodbye to her with a leather, brown-gloved hand before he stood up from his sitting position and he made his way to the doorway sans the door, accompanied by his petite, robotic chum who did the same thing.

"Wait!" Rosalina exclaimed towards Ratchet and Clank's retreating backs, reaching out a hand as if to prevent them from departing from the library. As she did so, she immediately stood up from her sitting position while holding her storybook in one hand and gripping her wand in the other. She felt obligated to give the one thing the lombax desired more than anything in the universe, besides a family and friends. "Before you leave, perhaps I may be of assistance. If you like, I can send you and Clank to where your race is."

Upon hearing Rosalina's words, Ratchet's ears perked up and twitched as he stopped in mid step. Before he had the chance to take another step into the entrance and exit of the library, he spun his head around to face the adoptive mother of the Lumas. As much as he loved to listen to his heart's desire, he knew it isn't the right course of action or the right thing to do at the moment. He have a gut feeling that Clank won't allow him to reunite with the Lombaxes, considering their current dimension still requires intergalactic security from them and there isn't a lot of heroes in the universe. "Nah, it's cool. Although, it's tempting but I think it's better off for me to find the Lombaxes myself. Thanks for the offer but unfortunately, I'll have to pass on that one."

"I bid you farewell, Miss Rosalina." Clank waved goodbye, waving with one of his metal, shiny, smooth hands.

Although the space-cruising protagonists' minds were made up, Rosalina wished all the best for their future and wherever their lives will take them in very humble manner as her facial expression remained cool and reserved. Even her mood reflected that. "I wish you both luck in your endeavours of locating the Lombaxes and whatever the future will bring for you two. May the stars shine down on you."

The intergalactic duo took their leave as they disappeared through the doorway, permitting Rosalina to take time for herself after a particularly heart-wrenching and emotional discussion with Ratchet and to get her mind back in order. There is no doubt that they are hard at work, fixing Aphelion at the Garage. Her heart is telling her to escort them out the door but her mind is telling her to listening to Clank's advice. She eventually made the decision to rise up from her rocking chair, gently left behind her storybook on it and she gracefully walked (instead of floating) towards the doorway so as to return to the central area of the Comet Observatory. When she is within reach of the entryway, she vanished through it, followed by the Lumas which filed out of the room, one after the other. She hoped that she will have the opportunity to give them a proper send-off after they repaired their spacecraft.

If she can't whisk them to the Lombax dimension, the least she can do is teleport them back to their home dimension if they will allow her. She will most likely never see her new-found friends (or at least, she considered them to be) again but she will be watching them from beyond the stars.

* * *

This teaser is originally written for Kerri Kane to sign on. In the original version of this story, there are Lombax writing next to the title to give it a sense of the fact it's a crossover between the Ratchet & Clank series and the Mario series. For some odd reason, the Lombax text aren't showing up when I submitted this story to this website. I hope I did everyone justice. I'd say Clank and Rosalina were hard to portray correctly due to their speech patterns, the way they speak and their vocabularies. Once I know how to start off the Ratchet & Clank/Mario crossover short story, I'll write it properly. Until then, all of you will have to be content with this teaser.

Reviews are appreciated but please no flames. I accept constructive criticism as long as they are helping me to improve as a writer. If you've spot any spelling or grammar mistakes in the story, just let me know.


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